 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Adekemi Oguntala, MD1, John Sieverding, MD2, Cherrie B. Boyer, PhD2, Jacqueline Siller3, Alonzo Gallaread3, and Y. Jason Chang4. (1) Adolescent Medicine, Stanford University, 750 Welch Road, Suite 325, Palo Alto, CA 94305, 650.725.8293, jessekla@aol.com, (2) Department of Pediatrics, Division of Adolescent Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, 3333 California St., Suite 245, Box 0503, San Francisco, CA 94143-0503, (3) STD Prevention & Control Services, San Francisco Department of Public Health, 1360 Mission Street, #401, San Francisco, CA 94103, (4) Center for AIDS Prevention Study, Health Survey Research Unit, 74 New Montgomery Street, Suite 600, San Francisco, CA 94105
OBJECTIVE: The goals of this study are to: (1) describe where and from whom adolescents obtain information about STD testing, and (2) determine whether there are gender differences in how adolescents obtain information and where they seek care for STDs. METHODS: This cross-sectional study is a part of a larger study to evaluate a community-based, peer-led outreach intervention for adolescents residing in a high STD prevalence community. Specifically, 1487 sexually experienced adolescents and young adults between ages 12 and 22 were asked: if they had been tested for an STD in the past 12 months; where they obtained their test; and how did they learn about the testing site. RESULTS: The participants were on average 18.2 years, largely male (58%), and African American (81.7%). More than half reported being tested for an STD in the prior 12 months with many being tested at adolescent and family planning clinics (36%), public health clinics (45.6%), and private physician practices (14.1%). Of these participants, 36.1% indicated that it was their own idea; a peer informed 32.7%, and a parent advised 21.2% of them on where to get an STD test. Females were more likely than males to receive information about STD testing sites from parents and peers (X2= 16.557, p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: In this community-based sample, adolescents are learning about STD testing from their immediate social network. This research suggests that physicians and prevention health specialist should reinforce screening messages with youth and provide information to parents and peers whenever possible.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: STD, Health Behavior
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Handout (.pdf format, 134.9 kb)